Neat Historical Artifacts for a game

[Jehosephat]

Jack the Ripper's scapel, Robin Hood's bow, Sherlock Holmes' violin, Wyatt Earp's six shooters, Piratecats hook & patch (is it just me, or has anyone else noticed the similarities between PC & Vecna?), a demonic hockey mask, a baseball bat used by Babe Ruth, a pocketwatch last owned by the captain of the Titanic, an automobile that belonged to Bonnie & Clyde, Santa Ana's wooden leg, Che Guevara's beret, a movie script once used by Alfred Hitchcock, MacArthur's pipe, a set of polyhedron dice owned by Gary Gygax. The military uniform of The Red Baron, the shroud of Turin, and the gold mask of King Tut

 

[gunter uxbridge]

hmmm.....an idea for a D20 Modern campaign just came to mind....

You are standing on the side of the road when a 1958 Plymouth Fury pulls up. Inside is a little girl with pyrokinetic powers, a demon dog/St. Bernard named Cujo, and a dude that looks an awful lot like Christopher Walken. Driving is a guy with an axe and wearing a shirt that says "I committed mass homicide at the Overlook Hotel and all I got was this lousy tee-shirt."

They ask if you want to go see a dead body in Castle Rock. What do you do?

 

[Jehosephat]

For Native American artifacts I would go with a spear used by Geronimo. Actually, you could go with just about any Indian weapon and attribute it to one of the famous Native American warriors. Or maybe create a pair of moccasins that act as boots of speed or perhaps give a circumstance bounus for moving silently. Don't know any real stories though about Native American artifacts.

 

[Bob Aberton]

For American Indian artifacts, maybe something from Hiawatha, by Longfellow?

If I recall correctly,

Seven League Boots - Self explanatory.

Mitts of Strength - Or some such.

Hiawatha's Bow - Typical artifact level longbow, with ungodly bonuses to everything...?

Hiawatha's Club - Something like St. Cuthbert's cudgel, but with more druidic-type powers, perhaps?

Hiawatha's Canoe - A semi-sentient canoe, with a speed equal to a Jet Ski and the stability of a container ship...

 

[gunter uxbridge]

Slight topic change, but how about this...

Portals ripped in the fabric of space at the Trinity test site, Bikini Atol, the Nevada desert, Hiroshima and Nagasaki and dozens of other spots by atomic tests. They could have random exit points, lead to other planes, or be linked...whatever.

 

[gunter uxbridge]

Oops....double post....sorry!

 

[gunter uxbridge]

Oops...double double post...sorry!!!

 

[Andrew D. Gable]

The mask of the Elephant Man - grants the following: +2 dex (elephant man was a master artist, and craftsman), -4 charisma, +10 to sense motive checks; casts enthrall 2x/day.

Hmm, I'd think the Elephant Man had a tad more than -4 Charisma. Maybe the Frightful Presence ability? The enthrall bit is really nice in a blackly humorous kinda way. Maybe as he was once a circus performer it gives the ability to cast Otto's Irresistable Dance?

Jack the Ripper's scapel

Hmm, this should be an item. What could it do? Possibly have a bonus, and likely the keen edge enhancement. Maybe give bonuses to Disguise or Hide or Move Silently, as no one could ever find him. Maybe a hopped-up Assassin's Dagger? Nevermind that it's not too likely, IMHO, he actually used a scalpel; I'm betting on a heavier blade like a kukri.

 

[hunter1828]

Three magical items/artifacts from actual American Indian legends:

The Four Magic Arrows (from a legend common to several Plains Indian tribes) - Each arrow can be fired once per day. The arrow disappears after being shot. At the end of the day a freshly killed animal appears near where the arrow was fired (one arrow produces a bear, one a moose, one an elk, and one a buffalo). The arrow appears stuck in the animal and can be reused. Only one of the four can be used each day.

Lakota Buffalo Pipe (from the Lakota Sioux legend of the first pipestone (Catlanite) ceremonial pipe) - A small red pipestone pipe with wooden stem. The stem is decorated in the sacred colors of red, black, white and brown. An effigy of a buffalo is carved in the pipestone pipe bowl. Whenever the pipe is unwrapped from its sacred bundle and laid in the open air it will magically summon a herd of buffalo.

The Star Feather Headdress (from a Cherokee legend) - a headdress made of peacock feathers acquired in trade from Euro-American traders. The original wearer claimed to his people that the unusual feathers were "Star Feathers" and that he could communicate with the stars. He set himself up as a prophet until he was discovered.

hunter1828

 

[fusangite]

I'm glad to see people are coming up with proper North American magic items -- ie. ones that are actually described in the myths which talk about them as magical.

Hiawatha's mittens did indeed show up in one of my campaigns.